Tuesday, June 29, 2010

It's wonderful to hear Yolanda, Albina, and Erica as they strategize together on how to move ahead on their small sewing business. The ladies are working together as each bring different strengths to the micro enterprise. I discovered that one of the ladies is unable to make change, so the others are stepping in to help as they sell their items. At the end of my visit, I'm blessed as the ladies always pull me to the side for a time of prayer.

A Mexican Birthday tradition. After all have sung to you in celebration on your special day and you have blown out your candles, everyone begins chanting "mordida, mordida, mordida, which means "bite". The birthday person is then suppose to take a bite of their cake. At the same time several of those nearby "friends" push.

Oh my goodness! What a difference in the ladies being able to concentrate on learning sewing skills!!!!!!!!!!! This week the sewing class students were treated to childcare for their little ones by a visiting church from Oregon. Two young ladies, Jackie and Susan kept the kids busy with crafts and games while Moms moved ahead with less skirt tugging.

Pastor Marta, Ellie, Priscilla and I spent the day pulling together crafts and song sheets for the July outreaches that the "angles" will be doing. It always great to have FUN while working alongside of each other.

There is endless amounts of prep that go into each outreach. I'm blessed to have Pat Jordan as my sidekick for prepping for the on-going sewing classes. Here we are at her house cutting out felt to be used to create little purses. It wonderful to have a seasoned seamstress to help make patterns and clean sewing machines.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Chris here, Monday June 21, I'm in the USA, Lori is in Mexico/San Vicente, and our new grand-daughter is in Oakland CA (smiles, smiles)... we'll get to see her in a few weeks...

The truth of missions is you have to give up alot... more than any non-missionary could ever imagine... like being around for all the births and birthdays and holidays and celebrations with all those close family and friends... that's one of those things short-term missions can't give as a 'mission experience'... a long track record of missed family-n-friend celebrations...

Hey, we have officially completed 19 YEARS of mission service... we left Michigan in June of 1991... here's to the nomad lifestyle!!

Friday, June 18, 2010

Too bad the San Vicente trip doesn't have any frequent flyer miles for Lori to accrue... she would be able to vacation in Europe with all the miles she would get! Yes, she's down there now, doing sewing ministry and discipleship of the teens and various things in her 'home away from home'... she'll be back-and-forth to SV all summer...

I'm minding the store, looking for a new vehicle (that we can afford... that's the problem...), doing house repairs...

AND working on 2 Urban Health Missions projects: [1] doing the 'preliminary footwork' for a NEW Urban Healthcare mission project for Refugees in south San Diego, and [2] building the 2-week seminar I'll be giving in San Francisco in September on caring for common adult and pediatric health issues found in Urban Health Care Missions... guess all that Clinical Nurse Specialist studying will help...